The present invention relates to an adhesive applying apparatus for use in joining together a hull and a deck with an adhesive to thereby form a body of a boat.
Known small-sized boats include engines and jet pumps mounted to sterns thereof. The jet pumps are driven by the engines to pump water thereinto. The water thus drawn into the jet pumps are caused to jet rearwardly to thereby thrust the boats. These boats include hulls and decks joined together.
FIG. 11 hereof illustrates one example of the above boats. A body 200 of a boat includes a deck 205 and a hull 201. The body 200 is formed using an adhesive applying gun as described hereinbelow. The gun includes a nozzle for ejecting an adhesive 206 onto an upper edge 202 and a pair of ribs 203, 203 of the hull 201. With the adhesive 206 applied to the edge 202 and the ribs 203, 203, the deck 205 adheres to the hull 201 to form the body 200.
To effect the application of the adhesive 206 to the edge 202 and the ribs 203, 203, the gun needs to move along the edge 202 and the ribs 203, 203, ejecting the adhesive 206 thereonto. This can be done in a variety of manners. A human operator may move the gun along the edge 202 and the ribs 203, 203, holding the same by hand, for example.
Because the gun is relatively heavy, however, it is difficult for the human operator to precisely move the gun along the ribs 203, 203 and especially any curved portion of the edge 202 with the nozzle directed towards the same. This leads to increased burden imposed on the operator.
An object of the present invention is to provide an adhesive applying apparatus designed to apply an adhesive to an upper edge portion of a hull, moving therealong in such a manner as to provide a reduced burden imposed on the operator.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an adhesive applying apparatus for use in joining a hull and a deck together with an adhesive, the hull having a hull body and an upper edge portion formed integrally with the hull body, the adhesive applying apparatus comprising: an adhesive applying gun for ejecting the adhesive; and a guide device mounted to the adhesive applying gun for guiding the adhesive applying gun such that the adhesive applying gun moves along the upper edge portion to apply the adhesive to the upper edge portion.
Since the guide device guides the adhesive applying gun such that the gun moves along the upper edge portion of the hull, an operator can easily move the gun along the upper edge portion of the hull. Thus, the operator can readily perform an operation of applying the adhesive to the upper edge portion of the hull. This results in a reduced burden imposed on the operator.
Because the guide device guides the gun along the upper edge portion of the hull, the gun can be precisely moved along the upper edge portion of the hull. It thus becomes possible to accurately apply the adhesive to the upper edge portion of the hull.
In a preferred form of the present invention, the upper edge portion of the hull has a horizontal portion extending outwardly from an upper end of the hull body and a side flange extending downwardly from an outer end of the horizontal portion, and wherein the guide device comprises plural rollers disposed on opposite sides of the side flange to sandwich the side flange. In a further preferred form of the present invention, the plural rollers comprise a pair of outer rollers disposed outside the side flange and juxtaposed in parallel to the upper edge portion, and an inner roller disposed inside the side flange.
The rollers are disposed on the opposite sides of the side flange to sandwich the side flange. It becomes possible to ensure that the gun precisely moves along the upper edge portion of the hull.
In a further preferred form of the present invention, the guide device further comprises a height positioning member disposed to abut on a back surface of the horizontal portion to keep a distance between the upper edge portion and the adhesive applying gun to a constant.
The height positioning member is arranged to abut against the back surface of the horizontal portion to thereby maintain the gun a fixed distance above the horizontal portion.
The adhesive applying gun can be moved along the horizontal portion in addition to being spaced from the horizontal portion by the fixed distance, and hence the operator can perform the operation of applying the adhesive to any desired location of the horizontal portion with accuracy.